Evaluating Research:
Research Methodology
Even if an author accurately reports the results of his or her research, the conclusions might not be valid. A poorly constructed research project will produce invalid results. Or, as the cliche states, "Garbage in. Garbage out." When analyzing the credibility of someone's research, you need to consider how the survey was worded, how the sample was chosen, which references were or were not consulted, and so forth.
When writing a research paper, you need to consult a variety of sources. A paper that only includes references to the Internet would lack credibility because academic journals and other types of print literature were not included. Even a research paper whose subject is "Internet Sites That Advance Health Care" should include references to academic articles from peer-reviewed journals such as:
Baker, Laurence; Wagner, Todd H.; Singer, Sara; and Bundorf, M. Kate. "Use of the Internet and E-mail for Health Care Information: Results From a National Survey." Journal of the American Medical Association 289.18 (May 14, 2003): 2400+.
Geissbühler, A.; Boyer, C.; Slikke, J.W. van der; and Arvanitis, T.N. "The Medical and Health Internet: Today and Tomorrow." Technology and Health Care 11.5 (2003) 1+.
Oermann, Marilyn H.; Hamilton, JoJean; and Shook, Marley L. "Using the Web to Improve Seniors' Awareness of Their Role in Preventing Medical Errors." Journal of Nursing Care Quality 18.2 (Apr-Jun 2003): 122+.
Sullivan, Patrick. "US Agencies Policing Internet for Health Care Fraud." Canadian Medical Association Journal 168.12 (June 10, 2003): 1083.
Vass, Alex. "Health Literacy and Patients' Understanding". British Medical Journal 326.7402 (June 14, 2003): 1339+.
Please Note: The full text of these five articles can be found by searching Academic Search Elite on-line. If you are not sure how to use the on-line database, please consult Utilizing Schoolcraft College's On-line Databases.
Discussion
Paul D. Morris did the research for Shadow of Sodom: Facing the Facts on Homosexuality while driving a taxi cab at night. His research sample consisted of the gay men he drove home from the bar. Not surprising, his research demonstrated that gay men were alcoholic and sexually promiscuous; not unlike the population of heterosexuals who take taxies home after closing the bar. His results are not credible because his research sample was not representative of the homosexual community.
Please note that it is possible for someone to come up with the correct conclusion even if they have a biased sample. However, that still does not make them a credible source. Even if Dr. Morris' conclusions about gay men were accurate, you still should not use his book as a reference.
"But my source said it was true."
An effective research strategy to employ when writing a research paper is to consult a variety of sources. The more you read on your topic the better able you will be to determine whether or not a source is credible.
Let's assume that you write that Islam is not a religion and then include a proper citation to Pat Robert's comments on the subject.
Just because your source supports your claim that Islam is not a religion, you would still be wrong. However, if you read a variety of sources about Islam, you would know that""at least in this case""Pat Robertson was not a credible source.
